We're here!

Buenas tardes a todos! We are so happy to announce that after exactly 24 hours of travel, we have finally arrived in a rural green paradise: Galicia, Spain! It took lots of caffeine, sugar, and walking from gate to gate, but we have arrived in good spirits ready to embark on an adventure. Though we have been really impressed so far with the number of students already practicing Spanish, I personally was really moved by a few moments:

The first moment was our first flight from Atlanta to Miami. Looking back, even though it was an extra flight, it was fabulous to have a plane full of latino people with us, and I could hear both Caroline and Daniel Stearns talking up a storm in Spanish to latinos they were sitting next to. My Spanish teacher heart swelled with pride as I listened to them navigate a conversation entirely in Spanish. This is the kind of love we are hoping to instill in the kids: a willingness to take risks and make connections with others when no one else is watching.

A second moment was watching May bravely volunteer as the first student to sit in the “co-pilot” seat on the bus and talk to our wonderful bus driver, Pedro. We were complete, sleep-deprived zombies at this point, yet May engaged in conversation with passion and curiosity, debating her current views about the world like she was a native speaker! Though most of Day 1/Day 2 has been dedicated to safe travel and rest, it’s obvious many of these students are going to take advantage of each moment they have.

When we arrived to Casa Lourán, our bed and breakfast, we had a lunch of traditional Galician dishes including empanadas, potato omelet, cheese, vegetable flat bread, everything made fresh on the farm here. Lunch was waiting for us on one long, family-style table, cooked by the owner of the house: Ana. She is officially our Spanish abuela, bringing such warmth and comfort to us through her food and conversation. This afternoon, we will be resting and then gathering to reflect on the trip ahead of us. We will gather around “la la’reira” (the Gallego word for hearth), get an introduction to Galicia, and then we will head out to a really special place: an ermita. This is an old, weathered stone structure often used for religious ceremonies. We will be going there to sit on the property of the ermita, which has an incredible view of giant windmills spinning in the fog. It’s truly a magical vista, and since the windmill is a famous symbol of dreams (Don Quixote) in Spain, it’s a great place to journal about our dreams and academic goals for this trip. After this time together, we will have some down time at Casa Lourán and eat dinner together and rest up for tomorrow: visiting the cliffs of San Andrés de Teixido. Google it, and you will see why I’m so excited for the kids to see them tomorrow!

Un gran abrazo a todos,

Sra. Rocamora (con Sr. Blanco y Sta. Bowers)